A Declaration of Dependence
Pastor David Kuntz

  July is a great month to think about freedom and independence.  We are reminded of our country’s Declaration of Independence over 230 years ago.  At great sacrifice by many we have enjoyed civil freedom all of these years.
  I would like you to think with me about that document.  The great genius of that declaration is that while it declares independence from England, it also declares our need to be dependent upon God.  In fact, the original title of this document was simply “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen Unit States of America.”
  It was truly a declaration of dependency.  In four areas it mentions our need to depend upon God.  Let’s look briefly at those four areas.

1. In the opening sentence of this declaration it refers to…the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God…”  We need to recognize that the “laws of nature” are God’s laws.  For example, consider Galatians 6:7 - Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  And we can depend upon those laws because (Colossians 1:17)  “In Him (Christ) all things hold together.”  Do we realize how dependent we are upon Him?  Acts 17:24b “He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

2. The second paragraph of our declaration states that “All men…. Are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights….” We need to return to a dependency upon God as our Creator and the source of our rights.  Over and over the Bible tells us that God is our Creator.  Psalm 100:3 – I know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

3. After naming the grievances the colonies had against England, the last paragraph begins by saying, “We… appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world…”  We need to return to depending upon God as the supreme judge of the world, and yes, of each one of us individually.  There is great comfort in knowing (Genesis 18:25b) “shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”  Whatever injustices may be allowed among men, the time is coming when true and righteous judgment will prevail.  Revelation 19:29 “true and righteous are His judgments.  That truth should also cause us to bow in humble repentance, knowing that we will face His judgment.

4. The last sentence of our declaration may be the most famous:  “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”  A firm reliance on Divine Providence.  There is dependency.  Isaiah 46:10 - Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.  Psalm 115:3 - But our God is in heaven; he does whatever He pleases.  Are we willing to trust God for His care and protection and salvation?  Romans 10:9-10, 13 - That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."